Herald staff
ARLINGTON — A 39-year-old Stanwood-area man was arrested Monday after a victim followed him and a sheriff’s dog tracked him down.
The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on investigation of vehicle prowl and possession of stolen property.
The incident began when a man in the 3500 block of 172nd Street NE allegedly caught the suspect stealing property from his vehicle about 5:45 a.m. and called 911 on a cell phone. The victim pursued the suspect and stayed on the phone with the dispatcher, giving directions to responding officers. At one point, the victim told the dispatcher that the suspect was trying to ram his vehicle, Arlington Police Chief John Gray said.
"Vehicle prowls and thefts are a problem," Gray said. "What the victim did right was to back off, stay with the 911 operator and let law enforcement do its job. Getting hurt or endangering someone else over property is just not worth it, he said.
Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies caught up to the suspect in the 8000 block of Thomle Road in the Silvana area. They called in sheriff’s K9 after the suspect fled on foot, Gray said. Arlington police officers and sheriff’s deputies surrounded the area while Deputy Scott Parker and K9 Niko tracked the suspect, Gray said. The dog found him hiding under a building. The man was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.
Police impounded the suspect’s vehicle and are investigating to determine the ownership of suspected stolen property found inside it.
"Most property crimes are crimes of opportunity," Gray said.
He urged people to remove valuables from view in vehicles, lock the doors, and keep a description and serial number for valuable items.
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